Condiment holder



Dec. 5, 19319. E DLAR 2,182,623

CONDIMENT HOLDER Filed Nov. 12, 1938 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNlTE ,ian

CONDIMENT HOLDER Edward Dolar, Berwyn, Ill.

Application November 12, 1938, Serial No. 240,063

7 claims. (o1. i5-45) This invention relates to improvements in holders or containers of various kinds and more particularly to an improvement upon the device shown'in my co-pending application, Serial No.

188,626, filed February 4, 1938. More especially, it relates to improvements in salt and pepper shakers so as to provide improved means for holding a plurality of containers in a holder and permitting the contents of one container to be 10 shaken out without shaking out the contents of another, and for shaking out the contents of a plurality of containers.

I am aware that there has been a number of patents issued on closure elements for closing off the contents of one container so asvto permit shaking out the contents of another. I am also aware that a number of these patents disclose spring operated devices of various kinds. HOW- ever, all of these constructions are attended by disadvantages as has been demonstrated when these devices have been put to actual use.

An object of my invention has been to provide spring operated devices for closing oi one or both containers or which may permit shaking of a number of containers wherein the-means will be simple and yet operated surely, quickly and eiectively and be free from the disadvantages attending the previous devices and in which the sides or legs permit the containers to rest on a supporting surface and prevent the same from tipping over.

Another ob-ject of my invention has been to provide a holder of the kind described made with the fewest possible parts which may be easily assembled or disassembled for cleaning,`

and in accomplishing the objects of my invention I have been able to provide a holder made substantially in four parts, to wit, a holder and a pair of closure elements and a spring for operating said closure element. The device of my invention has not only increased effectiveness over the previous holders but is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent and will be brought out more fully in the following speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

-o Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank from which the holder proper is form-ed; and

Fig. oA is a plan view or a blank from which a cover plate is formed.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1 in which I have shown the preferred form l of my invention selected for the purpose of il- 5 lustrating the principles thereof, I show a pepper and salt holder it being formed of a blankof spring sheet metal or other suitable material as shown in Fig. 5 having a pair of side exteny sions forming substantially parallel vertical sup- -ll0 porting legs or side guard plates il preferably tapering toward their extremities as shown. The intermediate portion comprises a top or supporting plate l2 elongated transversely of the blank l and forming end or side extensions preferably v15 semi-circular at the ends as shown and having correspondingly shaped dependent edge portions, stilening beads or iianges I3 and having circular or other shaped apertures M for receiving the condiment containers as will be hereinafter de- 20 scribed in detail. Around the apertures I4, the metal of the holder is pressed down to form depressed seats l 5. The side edges of the blank are recessed or narrowed as at i6 and widened rtoy Ward the ends of the flanges i3 for strength 25 and th-e extensions or legs `l i having inturned edge portions or flanges il, extending around to the recesses i 5 for stiffening purposes and corresponding tothe ilanges i3.

The blank l0 is bent at two points along paral- `"30 lel lines I8, the sides or legs l! being bent downwardly substantially at right angles or normal to the plate I2 which forms the top, but preferably in slightly downwardly' divergent or filared spaced relation as shown. The sides or legs H may be formed with stifiening beads l@ forming finger or thumb recesses to provide means for facilitating the grasping of the holder.

The blank is also provided intermediately and at each side of plate l2 with opposed U-shaped 40 cut-outs 2&3 with their bright portionsl inwardly and their legs outwardly forming recesses slightly spaced from the folding lines or corners I8 at each side thereof where the metal is bent or formed to produce upwardly projecting .'suby45 stantially parallel but slightly inwardly converging bearing ears or pivot supports 2i each provided with a pair of horizontally alined holes 22 adjacent its free or upper edge. A bow spring 23 consisting of a thin strip or band of brass, -50 bronze, steel or alloy of suitable character is litted between the ears on the plate or top l2' and is bent to form depressed V-shaped portions `24 near or at its ends of an intermediate bottom portion thereof seating in the recesses or cut- 15g outs 20 against the inner faces of the legs or sides Il, as seen in Fig. 4, and upwardly extending portions or ends 25 sprung slightly inwardly in spaced upwardly divergent relation to said sides to give the necessary resiliency and movement to upper shelf portions or oppositely inwardly extending extremities 26 disposed substantially horizontally but adapted to spring or move up and down vertically in inclined relation for a purpose to be later described. The intermediate or bottom connecting portion of the spring 23 rests or is supported on an intermediate portion 21 of the plate I2 between the cutouts 20 so as to provide spring arms adapted to bend or flex up and down outwardly thereof, that is, from the outer edges of the intermediate connecting and supporting portion 21 and particularly the inwardly extending portions or spring arms 26.

For the purpose of securing salt and pepper shakers or other condiment containers in the holder, the spaced apertures I4 in the supporting plate I2 are designed to receive for purposes of illustration, a salt shaker 28 and a pepper shaker 29 which are alike and each of which comprises a glass container in the form shown with a reduced andv preferably externally threaded neck portion 30 forming an upwardly facing shoulder 3| wtih the body so that when the neck portion is inserted through the aperture, said shoulder will engage the plate around the aperture and beneath the seat I5. Caps 32 are then threaded on the neck portions to engage the top of the seat I5 and securely hold the containers in position, but, by reason of the knurling of the caps to permit ready removal thereof. These caps have the usual perforations 33 for dispensing the contents and it will be noted that the legs or side portions II form supporting members which extend down even with the bottom faces of the containers and engage the supporting surfaces to prevent the device from tipping over as well as forming grasping surfaces in the use of the device.

In addition to the holder and shakers thus far described, each container is provided with a closure element for closing 01T the salt and pepper, or other material, at the perforations 33. Each closure element consists of a cover plate 34 formed of a blank as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, of sheet metal or other suitable material. The blank is substantially circular and impressed slightly concavo-convex to conform to the top of the cap, although this is not essential. The edge portion of each plate designated at 35 is bent down to form a flange adapted to fit around the periphery of the cap as well as to permit the use of lighter sheet metal and give the necessary stiffness, the same as in connection with the flanges I3 and I1 heretofore described, but each flange portion is provided with a central operating lip or nib 36 beneath which the finger is positioned for opening the closure which is pivotally mounted as will now be described. Each blank is also formed 'with a bar portion 31 with opposite extensions beyond a slightly reduced neck portion formed at its juncture with the plate proper and these opposite extensions have reduced portions or trunnions 38 designed to fit in the holes 22 at opposite sides of the holder, the adjacent cut-outs forming shoulders at the opposite side of a straight edge 39 to prevent shifting of the plate when so pivotally mounted. Each straight edge is also provided at one side of its longitudinal center with respect to the center of the plate with a lug 4D designed to engage one of the spring arms 2G so as to ex the latter when the closure plate is raised and after depressing the same, to snap over the dead center and thereby be retained in an open position inclined up- 5 wardly and toward the opposite side of the holder while resting against the other plate. It may also be mentioned that the portions 34 and 31 are bent at obtuse angles with respect to each other along a line connecting the inner edges of 10 the extensions at the part 31 due to the fact that the holes are slightly below the top of the cap and so that the spring arms will press the closure plates against the perforated caps and effectively close off the same. The lugs 40 arel'dis- 15 posed to one side of the longitudinal center'of each bar so that one cooperateswith one of the spring arms 26 and the other with the other arm. In assembling these parts after being stamped out and bent or formed in the manner described, the spring 23 is dropped into position and by pressing slightly against the legs II, the ears ,2I or bearings formed thereby are slightly separated so that the pivots of the closure plates may be inserted in the respective opposed holes with the trunnions pivotally mounting the plates as described. Of course, the plates can be removed in a similar way to facilitate cleaning of the parts. After the shakers are thus secured in place, when it is desired to use the device, it will be understood that the holder may be conveniently grasped between the supporting portions or legs II and especially the beads or finger and thumb engaging portions I9, preferably grasped between the thumbv and forenger of the hand. If it is desired to use the salt, the plate 34 of the container or shaker 28 is flipped open and held by the spring, this being facilitated by the nib or lip 35. During this time, the other plate effectively closes the perforations of the pepper shaker 29. A corresponding use of the pepper shaker may be had by opening its cover plate while the cover plate of the salt shaker is closed, or both plates may be swung upwardly against each other in oppositely diverging relation and held by the 2.45 spring, at which time the cover plates may form deflectors for the contents as sprinkled. The frictional engagement of each lug 40 with the spring will tend to hold the cover plate in its adjusted position and each will remain open or closed by reason of moving beyond the dead center which is a position intermediate the open and closed positions when the trunnions 38 are substantially vertically positioned in the holes 22. The device is very simple and can be made from four pieces of metal or the like as well as used for Various other condiments or entirely different substances than salt and pepper, as it is thought will be obvious.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the 60 necks 3!) of the containers fit loosely in the apertures I4, the threads or other fastening means on the necks for the caps 32, being omitted at the bottom portions of the necks to provide unthreaded or smooth reduced portions adjacent ;65 and immediately above the upwardly facing shoulders 3|, so that when the caps seat in the annular depressions or seats I5, the necks and containers are centered in the supporting plate at the apertures I4 and rigidly held against shifting or movement. Also, when either one of the cover plates 34 of the closure elements is swung back to open position against the other plate at the angular or bar portion 31 thereof, not only is the closed plate held closed by its spring arm .75

26 engaging the projection or extension lug 40 thereof, but the other spring arm 26 also exerts its tension against the other lug and open plate after passing or swinging over the dead center, thereby forcing said open plate against the closed plate and holding the same positively and more securely closed with double tension, and preventing the same from accidentally opening to any degree thereby preventing the escape of the condiment contained in the closed container or shaker.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A holder for containers having reduced necks forming shoulders and closures therefor, said holder having a plate element, apertures in said plate element to receive the necks of the containers therethrough with the shoulders engaging the bottom of the plate for clamping the containers in position by engagement of the closures with the necks and against the top of the plate, said holder having side portions extending down even with the bottom of the containers to help support the same and prevent them from tipping over, said side portions having upwardly extending ears, closure plates having trunnions pivoted in said ears and cooperating to close the closure of each container, and a spring supported on the plate between the ears and having spring arms engaged by lugs on the closure plates to hold the latter in open or closed positions. i

2. A holder for containers comprising a blank having opposite extensions adapted to be bent substantially at right angles thereto along the lines of juncture therewith and ears cut out from the blank to extend upwardly in the same plane as said extensions, said ears each having holes, closure plates having bar portions with trunnions pivoted in the holes anda spring seated in the cut-outs of the ears, said bar portions having lugs to engage inwardly bent spring arms of the spring to frictionally hold the plates in open or closed positions.

3. A holder of the class described comprising a plate having container receiving apertures with depressions forming seats and extensions at each side thereof between saidapertures, said exten-v sions having ears extending inwardly therefrom and stamped from the plate to form cut-outs, a spring having depressed end portions bent upwardly and inwardly and closures having bar portions pivoted in the ears and each provided with a lug to frictionally engage an inwardly extending portion of the spring.

4. A holder for containers having perforated caps including a plate having openings to. receive and clamp the containers, side members extending down from the plate to receive the containers therebetween and having upstanding ears stamped from the plate adapted to be moved outward upon pressing the side members inwardly when the containers are removed, a spring supported on the plate between the ears and having spring arms, and `closure plates for the perforated caps having trunnions pivoted in holes in the opposed ears.

5. A holder for containers having perforated caps including a plate having openings to receive and clamp the containers, side members extending down from the plate to receive the containers therebetween and having upstanding ears stamped from the plate adapted to be moved outward upon pressing the side members inwardly when the containers are removed, a spring supported on the plate between the ears and cutouts and having portions seated in the latter and having inwardly extending spring arms, and closure plates for the perforated caps having angular bar portions with trunnions pivoted in holes in the opposed ears. V

6. A holder for containers of the class described, including a plate having apertures for receiving the necks of containers therethrough for attachment of caps, a spring member supported on the plate between the apertures, bearings on the'plate and a closure for each cap pivoted in the bearings and each engaged by the spring member to hold the same closed, each of said closures when open being pressed against the other closure by the spring member to exert double pressure against the closure which is closed to hold it in such position.

7. A holder for containers having perforated caps including a horizontal plate having openings to receive the containers, means to clamp the containers to the plate around the openings, side membersformed integral with and extending down from the side edges of the plate, said plate having upstanding ears adapted to be moved outward upon pressing the side members inwardly and spring-actuated closure plates for the containers having trunnions pivoted in the ears.

EDWARD DOLAR. 

